Common Mistakes to Avoid when Designing a Logo

13 Nov Common Mistakes to Avoid when Designing a Logo

There’s no one way to create a great logo design, but there are still several things that any experienced marketing team will warn you away from.

Here are some logo design don’ts that you should avoid at all costs.

• DON’T Copy Your Logo
  This may seem obvious, but plenty of people go straight to clipart or existing logos when they’re in the early stages of design. Clipart will only make you look unprofessional, and using someone else’s logo will defeat the whole purpose of branding your company (not to mention it can be legally questionable). Boring, cliche designs will make you look like a boring, cliche company, so don’t use them.
• DON’T Use Over-dramatic Text
  There are a lot of font choices out there, and it’s easy to get excited and go with the most elaborate font you can find. Curb this instinct. When you make your font too decorative, it can be hard to read. Go with something that’s clear and readable even if you resize it. Avoid using all caps as well, unless you’re using an abbreviation. It can come off as overly aggressive. Also, try not to combine different font styles, since this can look tacky.
• DON’T Change the Size or Design
  Once you have a great logo, constantly redesigning and upgrading it defeats the purpose of a logo. You want something recognizable and consistent, or you’ll seem less professional. Don’t change colors, proportions, font or angle unless it’s part of a larger rebranding strategy. Also, avoid sticking your logo in a box or changing the size of it to fit in a space. It will look strange.
• DON’T Use Complicated Formatting
  Your logo should always be placed on a background that’s a solid color, or white, not patterned or textured. Using shadows or stretching effects can make your logo look strange or messy on other screens and surfaces. Splitting components of your logo design, like images, names and slogans, can also make your logo look disconnected on a different surface. You want a design that’s simple and clean with colors that don’t clash and components that won’t get distorted or lost.

Avoiding these common mistakes is a great place to start designing your logo. Talk to professional logo designers in your area if you’re not sure where to begin.